Blackpool crashed to a second successive defeat in the Northern Premier League, having again been dismissed very cheaply.

Seven days after being skittled out for 83 by champions Leyland, Blackpool managed only 77 after being put in at Chorley, who then struggled to a two-wicket win.

Chris Baines’ 33, batting at number 10, was the highest score of the match but only one of the nine men in before him racked up more than 10 as the innings lasted just 27 overs.

Blackpool’s top four scored only nine, with guest pro Grant Thompson out for a duck.

The South African from Ramsbottom CC had scored 130 on his first Blackpool appearance against Fleetwood four weeks earlier. Edwin Moulton and James Lee took four wickets apiece.

Thomson made amends with 3-37 from 6.4 overs as the hosts found batting on the Windsor Park pitch no easier but he was overshadowed by namesake Jamie Thomson, whose 5-18 from 13 overs was his first five-for in league cricket for the senior side and included seven maidens.

Chorley lost eight wickets before reaching a winning 82 in 26.2 overs, number four Gayan Maneeshan sticking around to see them home.

Blackpool have been overtaken by Chorley and slip to fourth place, 23 points behind leaders Netherfield, who were comfortable home winners over Morecambe.

St Annes are only two points behind Blackpool after boucning back from a miserable weekend a five-wicket home win over Barrow.

The Cumbrians were put in and started solidly enough as the top three shared 88 between them but then the innings subsided to 162 all out in 43.1 overs.

Greg Reynolds top-scored at number three with 37 but four of the next five men in failed to trouble the scorers as Matt Grindley ran riot with 6-37 from 17 overs, also claiming a run-out.

It was the St Annes skipper’s best return of the season and his fourth five-for, Mitch Bolus claiming the other three wickets.

Gurman Bains’ first half-century of the season was the highlight of the St Annes reply, which progressed smoothly enough to 165-5 in 32.1 overs.

Fleetwood couldn’t manage a fourth straight victory as they went down by 23 runs at improving Preston.

The visitors looked well placed to continue their roll after dismissing the hosts for 114 in 43.2 overs, professional Neels Bergh ripping through the tail to finish with 5-32 from 13.2 overs, the South African’s fourth five-four. Sam Bell contributed 3-27 from 10 overs.

The West Cliff side’s innings was held together by Irshad Desaid (34) at number five and captain/opener Sajid Patel (28). Between them they scored most of Preston’s runs and ultimately won the game as Fleetwood were all out for 91 in reply.

Sabbir Patel was unplayable with 6-17 in 14 overs, former St Annes all-rounder Lukman Vahaluwala taking the other four wickets for 40.

James Wilson showed most resistance with 25 at number seven but the four men who followed could not add a single run as the innings closed in 33.3 overs.

Lytham Cricket Club’s fourth successive win in the Liverpool Competition was their best yet – a thumping nine-wicket success away to second-placed Bootle.

Lancashire captain Steven Croft made his second Lytham appearance of the season to help steer the side to victory but the shining star with the bat was again Taylor Cornall, who followed the previous weekend’s 136 not out at Ainsdale with an unbeaten 69 on his return to Merseyside.

Bootle chose to bat at Wadham Road and totalled just 107 in 29.2 overs.

They looked unlikely to reach three figures after slumping to 23-6 as Jack Saunders and Toby Lester claimed three wickets apiece. The hosts stuttered to 70-9 before wicketkeeper Neil Williams gave them a slim hope with an unbeaten 56 from 45 balls.

Skipper Danny Edwards largely kept himself and guest star Croft out of the attack but they weren’t needed as Saunders conceded just 11 runs from his seven overs, while Lester also took three wickets, for 26 off nine.

Lytham then lost Thomas Hessey without scoring but made light of this as fellow opener Cornall was joined by Croft and the pair shared an unbroken stand of 101 to see Lytham home in 28.2 overs.

Croft played his part with 39 not out from 64 balls but it was Cornall who led the assault, with 12 fours and a six in his 90-ball innings.

The win only lifts Lytham one place to sixth in the ECB premier league table but they are now just three points behind Northern in third.

Garstang and Thornton Cleveleys won through to the semi-finals of the Palace Shield’s Meyler Cup.

Garstang won by 38 runs away to league leaders Longridge, where they set a target of 133 from 39.5 overs.

Number three Mark Walling led the way with 44 from 63 balls and wicketkeeper Matthew Crowther added 31.

The hosts were then dismissed for 95 in 34.1 overs as Ian Walling claimed 3-24 from 6.1 overs.

Thornton were awarded victory in their quarter-final because Torrisholme were unable to complete the fixture.

Garstang will visit Croston in the semi-finals in three weeks, when Thorton Cleveleys travel to Vernon Carus.

Croston and Vernons defeated Penwortham and Fulwood and Broughton respectively.

Garstang fared less well in the league 24 hours earlier, when Great Eccleston inflicted their second defeat of the season in the Palace Shield.

This saw Garstang lose top spot in the premier division to Longridge, who won comfortably at Thornton Cleveleys.

Daniel Jardine’s century helped South Shore to consolidate third place in division one with victory at Longton.